Shadowrise

“About the god Kupilas — about Crooked, as you call him. Tell the tale, bird. It’s pissing down rain and I’m cold and I’m hungry and I’m lost in the worst place in the world.”

Southmarch Castle is about to be caught between two implacable enemies, the ancient, immortal Qar and the insane god-king, the Autarch of Xis. Meanwhile, its two young defenders, the king’s children Princess Briony and Prince Barrick, are both trapped far away from home and fighting for their lives.

As shadows threaten to consume the kingdom of Southmarch, Barrick is lost behind the Shadowline, facing all the terrible dangers and mysteries of that magical twilight land. He must journey through this dangerous, inhuman realm to fulfill a pact — as this may be all that can prevent the atrocities of a full-scale war with the Twilight People of Qul-na-Qar.

Briony is alone in the treacherous foreign court of Tessis in Syan, struggling to survive with no weapon left to her but her wits. When those close to her fall dead from poisoning, she is to learn the true extent of the betrayal surrounding her. Her only option is to flee, as all those in Tessis turn against her — all, that is, except for one important ally.

Meanwhile, the assault upon Southmarch has truly begun. Yasammez, the formidable head of the Qar army, has ordered the attack, believing that the pact between humans and Qar has been broken. Unless Ferras Vansen, Captain of the Southmarch Royal Guard, can convince her otherwise, the humans are sure to meet the dark end that has been promised to them.

And in the midst of all this, something unbelievable is awakening underneath Southmarch, something powerful and terrible that the world has not seen for thousands of years.

In this third volume Barrick and Briony, along with Qinnitan — the Autarch’s desperate, escaped slave — a loyal soldier named Ferras Vansen, and a tiny handful of other folk, ordinary and extraordinary, must find a way to save their world, or else witness the rise of a terrible new age — an age of unending darkness.

“This third book in the series is bursting with story and Williams skillfully spins the complex yarn.” SFX

PRAISE FOR SHADOWRISE

“I was absolutely floored by Shadowrise. I went into the novel with some slight trepidation, but all my expectations were easily surpassed… it’s the best of the series so far. Cracking open a new Tad Williams novel is like sitting down with an old friend over beers, it’s immediately familiar and takes only seconds to fall in love again. The finish line is in sight, and Shadowheart can’t come soon enough.”
— A Dribble of Ink

“Shadowrise is the best volume in the Shadowmarch series so far. A truly epic vision that gets right to the heart of the power of mythology and fable, and a sumptuous feast of faerie magic, human politics and ancient secrets. I find myself eagerly awaiting the series conclusion in the soon to be released Shadowheart.”
— Kamvision

“[Tad Williams] really did hit this one out of the ballpark, setting the stage for a rousing finale that could well be one of the very best speculative fiction novels of 2010. With this book, Williams proves once again that he deserves his place among the best epic fantasy authors writing today. Shadowrise is hands down Tad Williams’ most impressive work since Sea of Silver Light.”
— Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist